Security vendor Cryptomathic has filed a lawsuit in Oslo against Norway's BBS alleging patent infringement relating to the use of digital mobile signatures for Internet banking applications.
Cryptomathic says the patent-in-suit is used for securing Internet banking and e-government transactions and is a world-leading version of a mobile, secure electronic and digital signature.
It alleges infringement of the patent in BBS' BankID products, which are used by around 1.75 million people to authenticate themselves by having messages or content signed centrally on their behalf with individual private keys.
In its complaint, Cryptomathic alleges that BBS "has infringed and continues to infringe, contributes to and induces the infringement of Cryptomathic's patent by making, using, offering for sale and selling products and services without being licensed by Cryptomathic to do so".
Peter Landrock, executive chairman, Cryptomathic, says: "We prefer to resolve such issues through commercial discussions without litigation but have so far been unsuccessful with BBS. Hence we are left with no alternative but to file suit."
In a statement sent to Finextra, BBS says: "We confirm the lawsuit filed by Cryptomathic against BBS and find it completely groundless. As this case is under due legal process now, in line with BBS' policy - we shall not comment upon it in the media."